Jatiya Party faction chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud has said BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are equally responsible for legitimising the Awami League government elected in 2014, rejecting accusations that only his party played that role.
Speaking at a press conference at Howlader Tower in Gulshan on Saturday, the former minister said many political parties, including BNP and Jamaat, took part in local government and national elections held under the 2014 parliament, thereby granting legitimacy to that government.
“The elections we joined in 2014 were under a government elected in 2008. BNP and Jamaat were in parliament when the caretaker system was abolished. They too took part in local and parliamentary polls under the 2014 administration. So why blame only Jatiya Party?” he said.
Anisul noted that BNP and Jamaat did not resign from parliament when the constitutional amendment scrapping the caretaker government system was passed. “If they had walked out then, they could criticise today. But they didn’t,” he added.
He also criticised Islamist parties that are now demanding the ban of Jatiya Party’s activities, pointing out that his party has never called for banning any other party, even amid accusations against them.
Anisul argued that Jatiya Party is being deliberately isolated from the political process through allegations of collaborating with the Awami League. “Those levelling allegations are themselves accused of far greater offences,” he said.
Highlighting that all major parties—including BNP and Jamaat—participated in the 2008 elections and formed alliances to maximise their seats, Anisul said election strategy, not ideology alone, determines such coalitions.
He warned that excluding parties from the next general election would risk a repeat of the one-sided 2014 polls. “Everyone is calculating whether to be in government or opposition. By blaming Jatiya Party, they are trying to undermine the credibility of the election process,” he said.
Anisul stressed that elections must be credible, transparent and acceptable to all. “Mussolini and Hitler were also elected. But they went on to practise fascism. So an election alone is not the answer—it has to be fair,” he added.
Jatiya Party leaders ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Kazi Firoz Rashid and Syed Abu Hossain Babla were also present at the press conference.
